81–90 of 356 posts
Well nobody today thinks twice about posting something on the internet, especially youth, and while they should, it's still OK, because it's the way social messaging and posting works, and everybody else should be more or less OK with that too. 10 years for trolling is way over the top, just fine him already and let him go.
Out of curiosity: if someone hacked this kid's account and posted those comments, and if the legal system is considering the Facebook comments to be his words, what recourse does he have? How does he demonstrate that the speech wasn't his?
I'm guessing this is just one more eeason that you don't say anything until you have a lawyer.
If USA has an actual justice system that cares for due process I can't see how anyone involved in these actions can retain a position of any authority within that system.
For the people who think that this kind of direct threat needs a punishment: what would be suitable?
Is it a direct threat if one doesn't have the means to carry it out? For example if I say I'm going to run you over in my car but I don't have a car, nor access to a car, doesn't that make it an empty threat. Context of course is vital to establish the force, if any, behind such a comment.
WIDELY MISREPORTED. Austin resident here. There is very little right about this case. He was joking, and his original post included indications of this. Prosecutors intentionally misrepresented and truncated his comments to mislead the Grand Jury. The arrest warrant issued claimed they found him by driver's license records but he has never had a Texas driver's license. They failed to protect him, an 18 year old kid,…
Wow, I didn't realise US police were that bad. After reading this I don't think I could ever feel safe enough to visit the US. Sounds like you'd have a better chance of getting justice in an African dictatorship where at least the dont-rape-me bribe would be affordable. Tourists really should be warned about this, because it's not the image the US tourist boards present to us at all.
Sure, the rich and connected will get all sorts of rights and protections, but if you are Mr. Nobody (and worse, you were not born and bred in the specific area where you're being accused) then some sort of abuse is almost guaranteed. Look at the news in places like UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Canada: people "spontaneously" die in police custody, are killed in the street while unarmed, spend years in jail for crimes they didn't commit, spend months in custody before even being accused of anything... and these are just the ones we hear about. My father occasionally had to look after kids who had some brush up with the Law, in Italy; long story short, once you enter The System, you can kiss goodbye to any sense of respect, self-worth or personal rights.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is not an isolated case either. I don't mean facebook-comment-wise, but rather wtf-wise. From Internet, through airports and car stops to interacting with random strangers. Lot's of horrific stories where you end up in the justice system, while done absolutely nothing that breaks the law or would endanger someone in any way. But maybe because the US is so big it's bound to happen sometimes? I don't know, but USA…
USA is a lovely country, too bad it's inhabited. ;-)
Wow, I didn't realise US police were that bad. After reading this I don't think I could ever feel safe enough to visit the US. Sounds like you'd have a better chance of getting justice in an African dictatorship where at least the dont-rape-me bribe would be affordable. Tourists really should be warned about this, because it's not the image the US tourist boards present to us at all.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is not an isolated case either. I don't mean facebook-comment-wise, but rather wtf-wise. From Internet, through airports and car stops to interacting with random strangers. Lot's of horrific stories where you end up in the justice system, while done absolutely nothing that breaks the law or would endanger someone in any way. But maybe because the US is so big it's bound to happen sometimes? I don't know, but USA…
On the other hand, you are most welcome to Pakistan :) I assure you things are more sane here contrary to what you usually hear on TV.
Well nobody today thinks twice about posting something on the internet, especially youth, and while they should, it's still OK, because it's the way social messaging and posting works, and everybody else should be more or less OK with that too. 10 years for trolling is way over the top, just fine him already and let him go.